Elevator.



B. D. SUMNER.

uavmoa. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1916. I

' Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

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ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1916- '1,223,007. Patented Apr. 17 1917.

BI'DI ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1916. 1,223,007. Patented Apr. 17,1917.

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B. D. SUMNER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1916.

1,223,007. Patented Apr. 17,1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

; t re BENJAMIN' D. SUMNER, OF TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA.

ELEVATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN D. SUM- NEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tuscaloosa, in the county of Tuscaloosa and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elevators and is intended more particularly for use upon freight elevators, although it is capable of use upon passenger elevators as Well. The

primary object of the invention is to provide means whereby a gate or closure at any floor will be automatically raised'as the elevator approaches that floor and will be held raised as long as the elevator remains at the floor level. Other objects of the invention are to provide novel means whereby the gate will be operated whether the elevator is traveling up or down and a still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the gate lifting mechanism may be rendered inoperative at the will of the operator so that the elevator may pass a floor without raising the gate. The invention seeks, of course, to so adjust the mechanism that the gate will be automatically closed as the elevator leaves the floor level and the invention also seeks to so improve and simplify the construction and arrangement of the several parts that the efficiency thereof will be increased and the life of the same will be prolonged. V

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafterfirst fully described and then particularly pointed out in the claims following the detailed description, and in the said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an elevator shaft showing the car at a floor level and the gate raised. 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the gatelifting mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a detail perspective view of the gate-lifting mechanism disposed at the opposite side of the elevatorcary;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of some of the elements shown in Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are horizontal sections showing difi'erent positions of the lower slide.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2. r V

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of some of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 17,191. 7.

Application filed May 20, 1916. Serial No. 98,831. i

the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the parts beingdisassembled;

Fig. 10 is a detail horizontal section showing the construction of the counterbalance weight which is connected with the gate;

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of a part of the means for rendering the gatelifting mechanism inoperative,

Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the catch which is provided upon the gate;

Fig. 13' is a detail elevation showing a modification; I

Fig. 14 is a horizontal section on the line 14 -14 of Fig. 8.

. The elevator shaft may be constructed in any well-known manner and is provided at its sides with guides 1 having central V61? tical ribs or flanges 2 in the illustrated arrangement, although any other preferred construction may be employed. At each floor level, I provide upon theguides 1, on the front sides of the same, tripping or cam rails 3 which project forwardly from the guides and have their. ends beveled or tapered, as shown at 4. The elevator car, designated generally by the reference numeral 5, is constructed in any suitable manner to slidably engage the ribs 2 or the guides 1 whereby the car will be held Within the elevator shaft and caused to move in a true vertical plane as it travels up and down. At the front side of the elevator shaft, I provide posts v7 and8 which are similar in construction-to the guides 1 and have ribs 9 on their opposed faces' Upon the inner face or side of the post 8, I provide guides or ways 10' which receive the ends of the gate 11 and thereby hold the gate to a fixed path." A counterbalance weightv 12 is connected with the gate by a cable 13 -passing over suitable guide rollers, 1 ion theframing constituting the elevator, shaft, and this weight is constr'uctedof two members fitted together between the posts 7 and 8 and shaped to provide recessesor grooves upon their outer sides which will receive the ribs 9 and thereby guide the weight in its movements. The members of the weight are secured together by bolts or cap screws and this construction is adopted for the reason that it faoiltates the placing of the weight in position. v.

The gate is provided on the inner faces of its end posts with recesses 15 in which are pivotally mounted dogs or catches 16 as to overbalance their inner ends and thereby normally project them into said path. The recess 15 is given a configuration corresponding to the shape of the dog or catch pivoted therein, the inner wall of the recess being cut-away, as indicated at 18, to permit the inner end of the dog to project into the elevator shaft and the lower wall of the recess presenting a shoulder 19 which constitutes a stop upon which the weighted end of the dog may rest and by which the clownward movement of said. end will be limited so that the inner end of the dog will be held in its proper operative position. This construction is clearly shown in Fig. 12.

The elevator car is supported by a hoisting cable 20 passing over a guide pulley 21 at the upper end of the elevator shaft and thence to a motor in the usual manner. On each side of the elevator car, I mount slides which are adapted to ride upon the projections or cams 3 so that the slides themselves, or other members actuated by them, will be projected to engage the dogs or the weights in a manner now to be described. Brackets 21 are secured upon one side of the elevator car and the upper ends of these brackets are secured to and bridge the spaced horizontal rails or guides 22 which are secured rigidly upon the side of the car at and near the up-' per end of the same. In the preferred form of the invention, a pusher, slide, or plunger 23 is mounted between these guides or rails, at the rear portion of the same, and is held in position between the said members by the upper endof the rear bracket 21. A spring 2% is secured to the upper end of the rear bracket 21 and to the front end of the slide, as clearly shown and tends to draw the slide rearwardly so that it will bear against the guide 1, the rear end of the slide being laterally enlarged so as to provide a head 25 which is adapted to bear upon the guide and ride on the cam or projection 3 as the elevator moves up and down. When the head 25 meets the cam or projection 3, in the movement of the elevator, the slide or plunger will be pushed forwardly and will thereby project a slide 26 so that the front end of the said slide may engage the dog 16. The slide 26 is mounted between the guides or rails 22 at the front portion of the same and is held in its position by the upper end of the front bracket 21 so that the two slides will be in alinement at all times. The rear end of the slide 26 is laterally enlarged, as shown at 27, and this enlargement 27 isnormally engaged by a freely swinging finger 28 which is carried by a link 29 suspended from the forwardly projecting arm 30 at the end of a rock shaft 31. The rear edge of the finger 28 bears against the front end of the slide or plunger 23 so that, when the finger is in its lowered position, it will constitute a connection between the two slides. If the shaft 31 be rocked, however, so that the arm 30 is swung upwardly, the link 29 will be raised and the finger 28 thereby lifted from its position between the enlargement 27 and the front end of the slide 23 so that the said slide 23 may then move back and forth during the travel of the elevator car without actuating the dog-engaging slide 26. The rock shaft 31 is journaled in standards or brackets 32 which are secured to the side of the car. car, as will be readily understood, and the link 29 is duplicated at the two sides of the car. The brackets 21 are recessed in their edges and a weight-engaging slide 33 is mounted in the said recesses and is held therein by keepers 34 secured upon the brackets and extending over the recesses, as clearly shown. This weight-engaging slide is normally projected by a spring 34: disposed between the rear portion of the slide and the side of the elevator car and having its opposite ends secured respectively to the car and the slide, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. A lever 35 is pivoted between its ends upon the side of the car and the lower end of this lever is adapted to bear against a pin 36 on the inner side of the slide 33. The upper end of the lever is forked, as shown at 37 to engage a pin 38 on the slide 26 so that, when the slide 26 is projected, the lever will be oscillated and, bearing against the pin 36, will. retract the slide 33. When the slide 26 is retracted or released, the lever will be oscillated in the reverse direction and the slide 33 then projected under the influence of the spring 34. To insure the ,retraction of the slide 26 and the oscillation of the lever 35, a spring 39 is provided, one end of the spring being secured to the lever, near the upper end of the same, and the opposite end of'the sprlng being secured to the lower rail 22. A combined guide and holding bar 10 is pivoted to the lower end of the link 29 by the same pin 41 that pivots the finger 23 thereto and this holding bar or guide depends through recesses or notches formed in the inner sides of the rails or guides 22 and has its lower end disposed between theside of the elevator car and the weight-engaging slide 33. The lower end of this bar is enlarged to provide ahead 42 which has its rear side beveled, as shown at 43. When the link 29 is raised, as previously described, the bar 40 will be lifted and the enlargement or head 42 brought into a recess or notch 4 1 formed on the inner side of the slide 33 so that the slide will be retracted and will be held in its retracted position, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. When the head 42 is lowered, the slide may be pro- The shaft 31 extends across the I then retract the slide 26, the inward move-,

ment of the said slide being limited by the mner end thereof engaging against the edge of the bar 40. It will thus be seen that both slides will be rendered inoperative when the link 29 is raised, inasmuch as the plunger or slide 23 may move without actuating the slide 26. The front end of the slide 23 is recessed, as shown at 45, so that it may play over the bar 40 but cannot reach the inner end or enlargement 27 of the slide 26, the parts being so proportioned that the slide or plunger 23 cannot act upon the forward slide 26 unless the finger 28 is in its lowered position to engage both slides and provide a medium for transmitting the actuating impulse. To hold the parts in the inoperative position, the links 29 may obviously be grasped by the operator in the car, but I provide a more convenient means for effecting this adjustment in a pin 46 inserted through a vertical slot 47 in the side of the car to be secured in the bar 40 and a brace 48 may extend between the inner end of the pin and the upper end of the bar, if desired, this brace being arched over the upper edge of the car, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.

The description thus far has been directed particularly to those members shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and located preferably at the right hand side of the car. The mechanism is substantially duplicated at the left-hand side of the car with the exception, as shown in Fig. 4, that the lower slide 33 is omitted. The brackets 21 are also dispensed with and keepers 49 are secured to the rails 22 so as to retain the slides 26 and 23 in position. The spring 24, acting upon the slide 23, is attached to the rear keeper 49 and the spring 50, acting upon the front slide 26, is secured to the lower rail 22 and to a pin 51 projecting from the slide, it being understood, of course, that the lever 35 is not needed at this side of the car. The finger 28 is arranged between the sides 23 and 26, as previously described, and a guide 52 is carried by the link 29 to depend therefrom and be disposed between the inner ends of the slides 23 and 26 so that the slide 23 cannot be retracted to such a degree as to bear against the slide 26 when it is desired that the car shall pass a. landing without lifting the gate.

A modification of the mechanism is shown in Fig. 13 in which the slides 23 and 26 are combined in a single integral slide 53 having its rear end constructed to ride upon the cam or projection 3 and its inner end to project beyond the front edge of the car when its rear end is riding upon said cam. A spring 54 attached to the slide 53 and to one of the brackets 55, which correspond to the brackets 21, holds the slide normally retracted and causes the inner end of this slide to positively engage the cam 3. The lower slide 56 is mounted in the-brackets 55 in the same manner that the slide 33 is mounted in the brackets 21 and a lever 57 is pivoted between its ends to the sides of the car between the slides 53 and 56. In this arrangement, however, the lever has both ends forked or bifurcated, as shown at 58, to engage pins .59 upon the respective slides.

It is thought the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It may be stated, however, that the elevator is caused to ascend or descend in the usual manner and as it moves upwardly, the plungers or slides 23-will ride upon the cams 3 and thereby be projected so that they will swing the fingers 28 forwardly and thereby push the slides 26 toward the frontof the elevator and cause them to engage the inner ends of the dogs 16. The engagement of the front ends of the slides 26 with the inner ends of the dogs 16 will, of course, tend to swing the dogs about their pivots but this tendency is positively resisted by the engagement of the dogs with the shoulders 19 on the gate and, consequently, the gate will be forced to rise with the elevator, thereby automatically exposing the opening and permitting the operator to pass out onto the floor and permitting the freight to be discharged from the elevator to the floor or from the room to the elevator.

If the car stops at any particular fioor level,

floor successively, but the operator by manipulating the pin 46 may hold the mechanism inoperative until the elevator is approaching the floor at whichhe desires to land, and then permit it to operate so that the gate will be automatically raised at the desired landing. If the mechanism be permitted to operate at each successive landing, the gate will be automatically released so as to drop and close the opening inase much as the plunger 23 will be retracted as its inner end leaves the. cam 3 and, consequently, the slide 26 will be automatically retracted and release the dogs 16. As the elevator descends, the slides 26 will ride over the dogs 16 and merely cause them to swing abouttheir pivots. As the slides 26 are retracted, the slide 33 will be projected and, as the slide 33 is below the plunger 23, the downward movement of the elevator car will cause the said slide 38 to engage the weight 12 and move the same downwardly, thereby lifting the gate. The several parts are so proportioned that the plunger 23 will not engage the cam 3 and thereby, throu h the intermediate mechanism, retract the slide 33 until after the gate is opened and until the car is about to leave the landing. It will thus beseen that the gate may be opened and held opened whether the car approaches the landing from above or from below.

The several parts of my improved mecha nism are very simple in their construction and are compactly arranged. By the use of my improvements, the gate will be automatically raised and will be held raised as long as the elevator is at the landing so that injury to the workmen or other persons by the gate dropping is avoided. he gate and the weight should be so aroportioned that the gate will descend immediately upon the elevator leaving the landing so that the opening will never be left unguarded.

I have herein disclosed what I now believe to be the best embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details herein illustrated inasmuch as various minor changes may be made therein without involving any departure from the spirit or scope of the invention as the same is defined in the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of an elevator car, a gate past which the car may move provided with a recess in its end, the inner wall of the recess being cut away and the lower wall thereof presenting a stop shoulder, a dog pivoted between its ends within the recess and having its inner end normally projecting thr ugh the cut away portion of the inner wall of the recess and its outer end weighted and normally resting upon said stop shoulder, and means on the car to engage the dog and hold it against the stop shoulder on the upward movement of the car and to turn the dog about its pivot on downward movement of the car.

QJThe combination of an elevator car, a gate, a slide upon the car adapted to move the gate to open position, a plunger mounted upon the car in alinement with said slide, a member interposed between the slide and the plunger to normally form an operative connection between them, and means for withdrawing said member from between the slide and the plunger.

3. The combination of an elevator car, a gate, a slide on the car adapted to move the gate to open position, a plunger slidably mounted on the car in alinement with the said slide, a movable member normally interposed between the plunger and the slide whereby movement of the plunger will be transmitted to the slide, means for withdrawing said member from between the plunger-and the slide, and means for preventing contact of the plunger with the slide when said member is withdrawn.

4-. The combination of an elevator car,

a gate, a slide mounted on the car and upon the car and adapted to move the gate to open position, a plunger mounted upon the car in ahnement with the upper slide, means acting on said plunger to pro ect and retract the same, a swinging member normally fitting between the plunger and the upper slide whereby to transmit the movement of the plunger to said slide, means for withdrawing said swinging member from between the plunger and the slide, and means movable with said withdrawing means for rendering both slides inoperative.

6. The combination of an elevator car, a gate, upper and lower slides mounted on the car and adapted to move the gate to open position, a plunger mounted on the car in alinement with the upper slide, a swinging member normally interposed between the plunger and said slide to transmit the movement of the plunger to the slide, and a holding bar connected with said swinging member and adapted in its upper portion to limit the movement of the plunger and provided at its lower end with means for preventing movement of the lower slide.

7. The combination of an elevator car, a gate, a slide mounted on the car and adapted to move the gate to open position,

said slide being provided with a recess in its inner side, means for projecting said slide, means for retracting the slide, and a holding bar movable across the path of movement of the slide and having a lateral enlargement adapted to enter the recess in the slide and thereby prevent movement of the same.

8. The combination of an elevator car, a gate, a slide on the car adapted to move the gate to open position, means for projecting the slide, means for retracting the slide, a vertically movable holding bar mounted on the elevator car, and means on the car for moving said holding bar into or out of engagement with the slide.

9. The combination of an elevator car, ried by the loWer ends of said links to rena gate, slides mounted on the sides of the der the slides operative or inoperative to enear and adapted to move the gate to open gage the gate. 10 position, means for projecting the slides, In testimony whereof I afiix my signameans for retracting the slides, a rock shaft ture.

mounted on the car, links suspended on the ends of said rock shaft and members car- BENJAMIN D. SUMNER. [11.8.]

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

